Fluid lines



Filed May 4, 1929 D. THOMA FLUID LINES fnz/eniar Patented Jan. 5, 1932 .11.:

M T R T M 'MIlNIHL R1 I,ANY:

FLUID Application filed May 24, 1929, Serial No.

The invention relates to fluid lines for conducting gaseous or liquid fluid and has for its object to establish a practically unidirectional flow in such a line in a very sim ple and efiicient manner without using any movable parts.

Check valves built into a line permit a an undue increase of pressure in the line. In

some cases especially when conducting a fluid of light weight under a small head-gases 7 it proves quite a ditflcult problem to provide site oirection maybe varied in wide limits according to requirements.

:1 check valve working satisfactorily at all.

According to my invention I impose a great resistance to a flow in one direction while the flow in the opposite direction is. practically not restricted. For this purpose I provide a direct path for the fluid flowing in one direction and conduct the fluid through a circular or partly circular course when flowing in the opposite direction. I furthermore arrange the intake closer to the center of this circular path than the outlet and locate the latter preferably tangential to the circular course. The ratio of resistance in one direction to the resistance in the oppo- The above and various other improvements will be hereinafter fully described and claimed. In order that this my invention may be more readily understood reference is made to the accompanying sheet of draw-- ings which show how the invention may be carried into practical efl'ect. Fig. 1 shows a device according to my invention in section.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line IIII of Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line IIIIII of Figure 1.

Fig. 4 is a modification in diagrammatic 365,753, and in Germany June 11, 192:8.

form-Jot the device shown in the Figures 1Iand2. r c The normaldirection of flow is indicated by arrows on the drawings. A housing 1 of approximately circular or spiral cross section is provided with a. threaded opening 2 into which the inlet 3 is screwed. A tangentialoutlet 4 is partof the housing. The outlet. 4 is preferably made with a gradually increasing cross section. The. in-v let'3' isalso: providedwith a cross section gradually increasing in the direction of the flow; .The endslof the inlet and outlet are threaded. at. 5 and6 for building the device convenientlyintoia fluid line;

With a device: dimensioned aproximately in scale tothe Figures 1 and 2 the resistance againstgfluid passing through in the direction :01 the arrows is less than the resistance ofleredbby an ordinary check valve while fluid: passing through in the opposite direc tion :finds. a vastly (in thepresentfcase about .35 times) greater resistance. This is due ito;the circular. whirlbeing formed by ,7 thefluidwhen-passing through in a direc tion opposite to the arrows theresulting centrifugal I forces. causing a considerable difference of pressure in the two connections Band 14. In order to facilitate the forming of a whirl azring shaped projection 7 of -the inlet 3 anda circularshoulder 8 of the lions ing '1 protrude from' opposite sides into the chamber giving the latter the shape of an' annular ring. with the outlet" branching tangentially theretroms The velocity of the fluidfiii the whirl is influenced by the tangenitallconnectioni being formed as a 1102- zle.

thefluid when streaming in adirection opposite to the arrows on the is provided a stabilizing plate 9 placed'in grooves of the central connection 3 (see The arrangement shown diagraniniati cally in branching v axially froniopposite sides into the'housing I3,"'This housing 13 andthe outlet 14 ma be the saine as the housing 1 and the outlet In'Yorder to prevent a 'turbulent flow of drawings there Figure l provides an inlet 10' into two lines 11 and 12'ente ring A-TE T Q F single or a plurality of outlets are emloyed. Having now fully explained my invention I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact details of construction nor to the particular applications shown, as obviously many modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art."

What I claim is:

signature- DIETER THOMA.

1. A device for resisting reverse flow in L fluid lines, comprising a housing containmg a chamber of approximately circular shape, said chamber being free from vanes and substantially unobstructed, an *inlet close'to the center of said chamber, an out let approximately tangential to said chamber, so that fluid flowing in through said inlet may flow directly and with low resistance to and through said outlet and so that fluid flowing in through said outlet in a reverse direction will rotate in said chamher and encounter substantial resistanceto such reverse flow,'and guiding means built into said inlet for preventing a turbulent movement of the fluid in case of'a flow opposite to the normal direction,

2. A device for resisting reverseflow in fluid lines, comprisin walls. forming a chamber having a thic er annular portion andxa thinner'central portion, said chamber being free from vanes and substantially unobstructed, an inlet connection leading to said central portion, and an outlet connection leading in a generally tangential direction from said annular portion, so that fluid entering said chamber fromsaid inlet connection may flow substantially directly and with relatively low resistance to said outlet connection and so that fluid entering from said outlet connection will be caused to whirl in said chamber and may flow to said inlet connection only with relatively high resistance. t

3. The method of retarding reverse flow which comprises interposing achamberin a fluid line, causing fluid flowing in one direction in said line to flow substantially directly and unimpededly through said chamber, and causing fluid flowing in the opposite direction to whirl in said chamber with substantial rotary movement to impedereverse flow to. a substantial extent. V V. 4:. The method of retarding reverse flow which comprises interposing in a fluid line a rounded chamber, introducingfluid flowing in one direction in the fluid line into the chamber substantially centrally thereof, and causing the introduced fluid to flow substam tially directly and unimpededly through said chamber to substantiallyv tangential out- 

